Third rail for electric railways.



no. 645,654. Patented ram-p20, I900.

w. A. P..w||.LAmJ, In. THIRD RAIL FUR ELECTRIC BAILWAYS.

(Application filed July 13, 1899.)

(in Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet MV'T' ES E52- a l Tcal= j Wm. WW

7 2 Sheets8heet 2,

P-aiented Mar. 20, I900. w A P WILLARD, 1n.

THIRD RAIL FOB ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. (Applicafiion filed July 13, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSE 5 E5 62 WW UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. P. WILLARD, JR, OF-HULL, MASSACHUSETTS.

THIRD RAIL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,654, dated March20, 1900. Application filed July :13, 1899. Serial No. 723,649.(NomodeL) To whom itmcty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. P; WIL- LARD, Jr., of Hull, in the countyof Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Third Rails for Electric Railways, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to that class of third rails in which a horizontalmovement is given to the contact-rail to make electrical connectionbetween it and the source of electricity, the rail being out of circuitexcept when in its forward or rear position. Y

My invention consists, mainly, in an improved switch-box adapted to'beoperated by such a rail and also in certain details of constructionwhich will be described below.

My invention will be understood by reference to the drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of a rail-section embodying my invention, aside of one of the chairs being removed to show the construction of therail. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the chair bymeans of which the contact-rail is supported. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectiontaken in front of one of the switch-boxes and showing the switch-box inelevation. Fig. 4 is a planet the switch-box, its cover being removed.Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4 with the cover in place, andFig. 6 is a sectional detail showing the switch mechanism.

A is the contact-rail, which is made of what is commercially known as IT-iron. This rail is supported upon friction-rollsB, mounted in chairs0. Each chair 0 is made of two parts 0' C The part 0 has projecting fromit lugs, one of which is shown at c in Fig.2, which lugs or projectionsare slightly longer than the width of the friction-roll B, so as toprevent the sides of the chair from jamming the roller. The sides of thechair are held together by the bolt 1), which serves as an axle for theroller B. The rail A is slotted and the lug 0 passes through the slot,as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the slot being sufficiently long to allowthe T-rail to have proper amount of play. Each slot may also serve, withits lug c, as a stop to prevent the T-rail from being moved too far ineither direction. The chairs 0 arespiked through the supports D D to thesleepers D It will be noticed that the support D is sufficiently long toconnect two sleepers D thus acting as a fish-plate to prevent thespreading of the adjacent ends of the contact-rails. These supports D Dare grooved, as shown in Fig. 2, to receive the conductor E, which maybe made in any suitable manner, preferably with a central core, whichforms the conductor proper,su rrounded by a coating of insulationprotected upon the outside by a shield of iron pipe or other suitablemechanical protection.

F is the switch-box, provided with a cover F. This switch-box contains apush-rod G, carrying two arms 9 g. A rock-shaft H, carrying a doublescroll-lever J, is supported in bearings h in the sides of the box. Thetwo arms of this lever J engage with the two arms g g, which projectfrom the push-rod G, which arms are suitably shaped to lie normally incontact with the lever-arms and to move the lever in the same directionwhichever way the push-rod is moved. I prefer that the push-rod shouldlie in a semicircular groove in the upper edge of the opposite ends ofthe box and that the cover F of the box should be provided withcorresponding grooves to surround and form bearin gs for the push-rod.Projections are formed around these grooves upon the outside of the boxand cover, which when the cover is on the box form on each end of thebox a boss f, threaded on the outside to receive an annular screw-cap f,this structure forming a stuifing-box, which may have a chamber f toreceive a' packing or to be filled with grease for purposes not only oflubrication, but to keep dampness from the interior of the box. The endsof the pushrod G are held in hangers K, bolted to the contact-railA. Itsends are threaded and provided with nuts and cotter-pins, as shown inFig. 5, so that the push-rod will move in unison with the contact-railA. Upon the shaft H is also mounted the switch-lever L, which ispreferably of the shape shown in Fig. 6. Its end l is shaped to engagewith the other switch member. Its rear end Z is heavily weighted or maybe provided with asuitable spring,so as to keep the switch normally inthe position shown in Fig. 6. By moving the contact-rail A and push-rodG in either direction the lever J will cause the rock-shaft H to throwthe end I of the switch into contact with the switch member-below it. Asindicated above, I prefer for the other member of the switch to use ayielding metallic substancesuch, for example, as a permanent liquidmetal, which is contained in a metallic cup M. This cup in insulatedfrom the rest of the box by suitable insulatingstrips on surrounding itand is preferably made large enough to hold sufficient liquid for thepurpose. I prefer to shape the interior of this cup as shown in Fig. 6.

The conductor E is led through the box F, as shown in Fig. 5, and isconnected with the metal cup by a suitable clamp m m (see Figs. 4 and5,) between which the two ends of adjacent sections of the conductor areheld. When the end of the switch-leverL is thrown down into the cup, thecurrent finds a path from the conductor E, through m to the liquidcontained in the cup M, thence to the switch, and from it through thevarious parts electrically connected to it to the push-rod G, clamps K,and contact-rail A, and from it to the motor on the car and to thetraffic rails or other return by which the circuit is completed. Atother times the current remains in the conductor. An insulating-block eis provided at the farther end of the switch-box to insulate theconductor E where it enters the box from that side,

The switchbox should be watertight, and for this purpose is grooved, asat f to receive a suitable packing, and it and its'cover are providedwith eyes to receive screws or bolts to hold them together. In practicewhere the outer coating of the conduit-pipe for the conductor ismetallic I insert on each side of the boX an insulating-joint, so thatat the time when the box becomes charged the current will not leakeither way, but will be driven through the various parts to theconduit-rail.

The operation of this device is as follows: The shoe being electricallyconnected with the motor is led down from the under surface of the carand pushed to move the contact-rail A. This rail throws the switch-leverL by means of the push-rod G and scroll-lever .I, so as to cause the endZ of the switch to engage with the other switch member M, thus bringingthe shoe andmotorinto electrical connection with the conductor E, thecurrent then passing through the motor and completing the circuitthrough the track or in some other way. When the shoe has passed beyondthe particular section of contact-rail referred to, the weight of therear end Z of the switchlever falls, breaking the electrical contact ofthe two switch members and throwing the push-rod and the rail into theirnormal posi- -tion.

Because of the peculiar construction of the scroll-lever J and the arms9 g of the pushrod G the switch will be thrown whichever way thecontact-rail is pushed.

If thought best, springs may be applied to the contact-rail or lever-rodto return it to its normal position after it has been moved by the shoe.

I prefer to make the contact-rail in sections of,say,thirty feetlong andprovide one switchbox for each section; but this is a matter ofconvenience merely. Thewhole structure is comparatively inexpensive andexceedingly simple, and, as with other rails of this class, it preventsdanger, which arises from the use of live third rails or that class ofthird rail in which downward pressure alone causes contact to be made.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a third-rail system, acontact-rail, a switch-box carrying a push-rod suitably connectedthereto, in combination with astationary switch member, a conductorconnected thereto, a switch-lever and means substantially as describedconnecting said push-rod with said switch-lever, whereby a reciprocationof the push-rod in either direction will bring said switchmembcr intoelectrical engagement, as set forth.

2. In a third-rail system, a contact-rail, a switch-box, a push-rodpassing through said switch-box and connected to said contact-rail, aswitch consisting of two members, one of which is movable, and meansconnecting said movable switch member with said push-rod, whereby thereciprocation of said contactrail and said push-rod in either directionwill cause electrical contact between said switchlever and the othermember of the switch, as set forth.

3. A switch-box adapted for use in thirdrail systems having afreely-movable switch member and a stationary switch member and ahorizontally-movable rod connected to said movable switch member andadapted to be connected to a movable third rail, and means forelectrical connection between said stationary switch member and a sourceof electricity, as set forth.

4. In a switch-box, a switch-lever mounted on a horizontal shaft, adouble scroll-lever connected thereto and a push-rod having two armseach capable of engagement with one of the arms of said scroll-lever,whereby the movement of the push-rod in either direction will cause theoscillation of the switch-lever in the one direction, in combinationwith a stationary switch member, all as set forth.

5. A third-rail-supporting chair consisting of two sides, one providedwith lugs adapted to engage with the face of the other, and said chaircarrying a friction-roll mounted thereon, as set forth.

6. In a third-rail system having a horizontally-movable contact-rail, incombination, a slotted contact-rail and two or more supporting-chairseach having a friction-roll upon which said rail rests,and a lug adaptedto pass through a slot in said rail and limit its move- "WM. A. P.WVILLARD, JR.

\Vitnesses:

FLORENCE DRAPER, GEORGE O. G. CoALE.

